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J. V. BERRY. AUTOMATIC OOPY HOLDER AND-LINE INDIOATOR.

No. 407,314. Patented July 16.1889.

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` J. V. BERRY. AUTOMATIC COPY HOLDER AND LINE INDICATOR.

N0. 407,314. Patented July 16, 1889.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN V. BERRY, VOF NEV YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC COPY-HOLDER `AND LINE-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,314, dated July 16, 1889.

Application iiled June 20, 1888. Serial No. 277,694. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN V. BERRY, a citizen of New York, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Copy -Holders and Line-Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in'vention,such as will enable larly to those who use the type-writer, it is others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front view of my device, showing in dotted lines the connection of the movable platen-frame to the bed-plate and the operation of the spring pawls and levers in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical sect-ion thereof, with the position of the platen-frame when lifted from the bed-plate and broken connection in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the platen-frame. Fig. at is a view of the line-ruler with lugs. Fig. 5 shows the spring-pawl and lever, and Fig. 6 is a perspective of a section of the side of the device, showing the connection and operation of the line-ruler and spring-pawls with the ratchets in the platen-frame and movable ratchets.

The object of my invention is to provide a reliable automatic device by which written or printed copy may be held in a convenient manner and lined with accuracy by a copyist; and it consists in a line-ruler which is adjustable at pleasure, and is so connected with and operated by suitable mechanism that a single blow upon a key will infallibly indicate the line to be copied.

It also consists in details of mechanism to enable me to accomplish the main purpose.

Before my invention copyists, and especially type-writers, have resorted to various expedients tol aid the eye in keeping the lines of copy accurately in view, and rulers or other objects having a straight line have been employed, which in all instances obliged a suspension of the task of copying and an adjustment of the rule at each line, and, while breaking the continuity of labor, consumed much Devices to hold such rules in place have been employed; but they have been subject to the same objections.

pursue his task without delay or diversion from his copy and his machine or sheet.

The advantage to the copyist, and particuclaimed, is, that not only is there a great relief from strain and convenience in labor, but that the speed obtain ed is at least twenty-iive per cent. more.

In the drawings, wherein similar lettersindicate similar parts, A is a standard and base, which may be of any usual design, material, or weight, with or without a set-screw b and rod c to adjust the height of the device, which it does or may support.

At the top of this standard A or rod c is hinged a bracket, upon which is fastened my device. It is so hinged that said device may be set at any desired angle and secured at such angle by a set-screw d. The part of the copy-holder so secured upon said bracket is what I term the fbed-plate e of the device. "ly means of rods f f, rocking in bearings g g on the back of the bed-plate e, which rods at each end are provided with arms 71h, extending around and in front of the bed-plate e, I attach the movable frame-platen B in any suitable manner, but as I show them by employing` the ends of said arms as pivots bent so as to enter holes in the side of the frameplaten, as seen att' z' 1l t. This frame B,I make, preferably, of metal, the weight being useful in furnishing pressure to hold the copy iirmly on the bed-plate. As will be seen,the device for securing this frame-platen enables it to be readily lifted from the bed-plate for the insertion or removal of copy, the arms h h describing the arc of a circle and determining the distance it may be lifted. It is shown as lifted by a downward movement of the arms h 7L, but may be constructed so as to operate the reverse of this. platen is provided on each side with vertical iian ges k lo, provided with lugs Z Z 'm m, (clearly shown at Fig. 3,) the lugs being perforated so as to support and permit to pass through This movable framep IOO them movable ratchets n n, playing upward and downward beside the flange k k.

The sides of the frame-platen B are notched to correspond with the movable ratchets n n, and these two ratchets on either side are so arranged as to leave what may be termed slots 0 0 between theni, (more particularly shown in perspective in Fig. G and in section in Fig. 2.) These ratchets n fn are parallel with each other and with the sides of the frame B, and are connected at the bottom by a cross-bar p, the whole shown in the drawings as made of one continuous wire. This cross-bar p passes under and parallel to va iiange on the bottom of the frame B, which serves to limit its upward mot-ion.

In the center of the cross-bar p, I attach a key or button fr, so arranged that when struck it will carry down with it the cross-rod p and the ratchets fn n, the extent of the down motion being determined by contact with the point of a set-screw s, arranged in a lug projected from the bottom of the yframe B. The upward or return motion of the cross-bar p and ratchets n n is caused by springs t t, connected with the upper end of the ratchets n n above the upper lugs Z l, which springs, as shown, are spiral and are compressed on the downward movement between the lugs Zland buttons u u on the tops of the ratchets n n. Any suitable springs, however, can be emplnyed for the purpose.

between the sides of the frame-platen B, ad. provided with lugs i: c e u on each end, a line-ruler C, so arranged that preferably t'. extremities shall slide under the movable ine-platen B, and the lugs in the slots o c,

, lalled, between the said frame B and movratchets n n.

I do not deem it essential that the lineruler shall extend under the sides of the frame, but find it desirable. This arrangement secures the line-ruler in position at right angles to the sides of the frame, so that it may move freely up or down. Upon this lineruler C, at both ends, I pivot pawls a: the outer ends resting against the lower lugs e e. These pawls a: x are preferably made of flat spring metal, and are each ,divided or bifurcated, so that one prong of each engages, the one the ratchet on the frame and the other the ratchet n.

I find an advantage in having the under prong slightly longer than the outer one. Connected with each of the pawls fr are flat levers y y, which extend out and over the line-ruler C to or just beyond the center, terminatingwith lugs or buttons z z, so arranged that they can be together pressed up ordown, and in so doing to throw the pawls a: a; out of connection with all the ratchets.

For convenience I have provided on the lower edge of the line-ruler, on the center, a thumb or finger piece s. By pressing with thumb and finger upon the buttons or lugs e' z and thumb-piece z the pawls a: will be thrown out of connection with the ratchets and readily slid to the upper part of the frame-platen B.

In operation my device is used as follows: Lifting the frame B from the bed-plate e, I in sert the copy. By pressing the parts z z z', I carry the line-rulerC to the top of the copy. Then I adjust the thumb-screw s so that the ratchets n n can have a motion only slightly in excess of the space between the lines of the copy. This excess at each stroke is taken up on a return motion of the ratchets n n by the springs t t. Commencing work at the end of a line of copy, Istrike sharply the button i", which carries down the cross-bar p, and with it the ratchets n n. These last in turn, being engaged with the outer of the forks of the spring-pawls o: 0c, carry down the lineruler C one space, the inner of the forks of the pawls on the return motion of ratchets fn, n engaging with the notches in the sides of the movable frame-platen B, preventing the line-ruler from being carried back and leav ing it just under the succeeding line, while the ratchets n n then return to their normal position. This is continued until the sheet of a copy is exhausted, when a new one is inserted, and by compressing the parts a a the pawls are disengaged and the lineeruler slid upward to the first line of the new copysheet, and so on, as desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

l. In a copy-holder, the combination of a standard, bed plate, and movable platenframe, with suitable connections arranged to hold the copy, and also to admit of the ready insertion and removal thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a copy-holder, a frame with its sides notched and movable ratchets so arranged that a space or slot is left between them to receive the ends of a line-ruler, substantially as described.

3. In a copyholder with a movable frame arranged to rest upon a platen and with the inner edges of its sides notched, the combination of ratchets, pawls, and line-ruler, substantially as described.

et. In a copy-holderwith a frame having its inner side edges notched, the combination of ratchets on each side, pawls, and levers to throw the pawls out of connection, substantially as described.

5. In a copy-holder with a frame, the co1n bination of reciprocating ratchets, a cross-bar connecting them, a button or key by which one movement is made, and springs to produce the return movement, substantially as described.

G. In a copy-holder with a frame, the combination of reciprocating ratchets, a crossbar connect-ing them, a button or key by which one vmovement is actuated, and a setscrew attached to the frame to regulate the extent of motion, substantially as described.

7. In a copy-ho1der, parallel ratehets on TOO IIO

each side, one reciprocating and one permanent, in combination with a line-ruler provided with pawls, divided or bifureated, so

I that one fork of each engages one ratchet,

springs to lift the reciprocating,` ratehets so arranged that the 'forks of the pawls in oontaet with them carry down t line-ruler, While those engaging with the permanent ratohei's 

